{% hint style="info" %} Logs can be downloaded using QGroundControl over the datalink,
but this is discouraged as it is VERY slow and the logs are often corrupt. USB mode is
recommended. {% endhint %}
View Datalogs
Log files are in “
” format. This format is binary, and contains extensive information
about the flight and the vehicle. The easiest way to view the logs is to browse to
and upload the ulg file. It will present many plots showing data such as
angles, position, speed, GPS quality, vibration, etc. It will also show the build information,
current configuration, and any errors detected in the flight.
Log Cleanup
The onboard SD card holds 8GB of data, which is able to store logs for hundreds of flight
hours. The ALTA X will start to delete old logs if it runs out of space, so it is useful to
periodically clean out the logs if you don’t want them to be lost. Download all the logs as
shown above, and then delete all (or some) of the folders in the “logs” subdirectory.
MAVLink
ALTA X supports MAVLink connection via two connectors, with one on the communications
expansion panel on the outside of the aircraft (labeled UART) and one inside the aircraft.
External Expansion Panel UART
The external UART connection uses 57600 baud 8-N-1. This port is packet switch multiplexed
with an OSD module, which means that there will be some periodic MAVlink parameter
streams present by default for OSD use. Because it is packet switched, the user does not
need to account for multiplexing their transmitted messages themselves, but instead just
needs to plan for the fact that there will be some unrequested traffic received from the
flight controller.